She Walks In Beauty
by c.sophie
Summary: Kurosaki Ichigo's mother died. She left him with a legacy, to collect artwork. In his collecting, he meets an intriguing female, Kuchiki Rukia. Although he's "taken", he cannot resist her beauty and charm.
1. Well Worn Hand

**Disclaimer: **I do not own **Bleach**, Lord Byron's poem **She Walks In Beauty**, or the Editors song **Well Worn Hand. **I do, however, own this story. -Smile-

* * *

**She Walks in Beauty**, like the night  
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;  
And all that's best of dark and bright  
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:  
Thus mellow'd to that tender light  
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,  
Had half impair'd the nameless grace  
Which waves in every raven tress,  
Or softly lightens o'er her face;  
Where thoughts serenely sweet express  
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,  
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,  
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,  
But tell of days in goodness spent,  
A mind at peace with all below,  
A heart whose love is innocent!

* * *

**-Well Worn Hand-**

"_Wake up my love  
Today I heard some bad news  
Just what are we all supposed to do?  
I won't let them get to you.  
I don't want to go out on my own anymore,  
I can't face the night like I used to before.  
Take my well worn hand,  
Let's lock ourselves away  
We'll never, ever step outside  
We'll curl up in a ball and hide"_

* * *

Lonely May days always seemed to calm him. This breezy Friday morning was no different. The sun was shining, and the trees swayed in the light breeze that caressed each branch. Walking down the front steps of his apartment building, he saw that the sakura trees, which adorned the front of his building in neat lines, were still in full bloom. It was almost summer time and the blossoms were sure to scatter soon. Seeing them reminded him of his mother. As a child, his mother would take him and his sisters to the nearby park and allowed them to run on the grass with the sakura trees.

He adjusted his messenger backpack on his back. He then sighed, almost shuddered, and began the short walk from the big automatic doors that led into his apartment building to his parked motorcycle in the next door parking lot. The building he lived in had their own spaces for parking, for which they charged an arm and a leg. He'd much rather see his money go to a better place, like his schooling, for example.

The school he was attending, Tokyo Daigaku, abbreviated Todai, was the most famous research university in Japan. He was studying pre-medicine at Todai, as an undergraduate. He was on his last year. He still had no idea how he had gotten into that university. His grades in high school were not prodigious. His dad was friends with a couple of professors on the admissions committee, so he guessed that that had something to do with it. He wasn't complaining. He zipped up his leather jacket and mounted his motorcycle. After locking in his helmet safely on his head, he started his bike and sped off.

It was a calm ride. He almost felt like he was going slow motion, in a velvet reverie. These types of days had become more frequent since the death of his mother. It had been nearly a month, and his quotidian days were becoming even duller. He had a very monotonous schedule for the past month; he would wake up, go to school, eat lunch either at school or a nearby restaurant, go back to school for the last classes of the day, and then go back home and study before retiring to his bed. It was perfect for his present state of mind, however. He was in no mood to be around people or speak to anyone. He spoke to his family on the phone a couple of times during the week, but had very little communication with anyone otherwise. He knew it was not good to lock oneself away with grief, as it would only get worse. He decided to call his best friend Hirako Shinji that morning and ask him to join him at Ootobai, a restaurant close by to the art university in Tokyo. He had not spoken to Shinji since his mother's funeral. It would be good to see what he was up to.

Another person he hadn't spoken to since his mother's funeral was his childhood friend Chad. Chad was attending the community college in Tokyo. He wasn't what you would call a "high achiever." But Chad was a good friend, and he felt that a good chat with Chad would do him well. He would head to Chad's after school. Perhaps he would bring a few beers to drink over a long chat.

He parked his bike in a spot far from the entrance. He liked to give himself more time to think. He jogged up the wide steps that led up to the school with his hands in his pockets. He shook the hair out of his face as he walked past a tree planted on top of the stairs, surrounded by concrete. The automatic doors opened for him and he made an immediately left on his way to his first class. He kept his head down, thus bumping into a few people. He looked up and uttered apologies and went on his way. The long hallway ended and he got in the elevator on his right. Other students were already there, making their way up from the lower levels. The elevator stopped on the fourth floor and he got out quickly. He avoided the company of people as much as he could nowadays. He turned left then made a right at the science wing water fountain.

Walking into his classroom, he nodded his head at a few classmates and took his seat. The classroom had no windows. Some people complained that the fumes from lab experiments would suffocate them someday. There was a large blackboard that covered the whole wall at the front of the room. To the far left of it was a desk where the professor sat. Next to it, the professor had his own large, wide table in which to conduct experiments. The room was filled with tables like these, all holding two students. At the back of the class in the far right there was a shower for washing off dangerous chemicals. To its left was a long row of sinks.

Ichigo took out his white lab coat and located his lab goggles on his head. He had always enjoyed chemistry in high school, and it had become his favorite class in college. Two hours first thing in the morning usually put him in good spirits. He enjoyed having his mind challenged, it made him somewhat excited.

He was looking forward to this day; it should prove to break the redundant pattern he had recently lent himself to. He would still grieve for his mother... but he felt that getting his mind off of her death would only do him good.

* * *

"Ichigo... you gonna pick that up?"

Ichigo knew well who it was, but took his phone out of his pocket and looked anyway. Of course it was as he suspected. She never failed to call every day at lunch. Sometimes he would pick up, but usually just let it ring. He smirked dully at his best friend over the small round table.

"It's rude to answer phone calls when one is in the company of others sharing a meal," Ichigo said. He leaned his back against the wall that was right behind his chair. Shinji smiled at this.

"Why don't you ever pick up for her?" he inquired while shaking his head at the man in front of him.

Ichigo chuckled, "I do every once in a while! It's just that whenever she calls I'm usually… busy…"

"Hmm, that girl deserves better than you," Shinji laughed. Ichigo chuckled with him.

"I suppose she does…" Ichigo brought his face down, "It's just lately it's been… difficult. She's a happy girl. And I'm presently not the most pleasant being to be around."

"Bad excuse. Isn't that one of her jobs as a girlfriend? To be around you even if you're unpleasant to be around? Shouldn't she be keeping you company and keeping your mind off of… things? Hasn't she tried to make you feel better?"

Ichigo rubbed his neck and looked around uncomfortably. He nodded briskly.

"Uh-huh, and knowing you," continued Shinji, "you probably ignored her attempts and closed yourself off completely."

"She tries, and I'm thankful, I really am and I don't want to hurt her feelings, but… her blithe and insouciant personality just makes me feel uncomfortable. She tries to 'cheer me up' but it feels like she's trying too hard…"

"Heh… so she doesn't do anything for ya?" Shinji asked, smirking. Ichigo shook his head gingerly.

"So what are you still doing with her?" Ichigo looked away from Shinji's frowning face. He didn't have a chance to answer because at that moment, a short blonde woman with a flat chest waltzed into their corner at the far right of Ootobai. They were almost secluded in that spot. Ichigo was surprised the servers even remembered that table was there.

The woman sat down in an empty chair on Shinji's right. It was Sarugaki Hiyori. She studied law at Todai. She was Shinji's longtime girlfriend. She was brash and often hurt others because of her tendency to speak before she thought. Ichigo found her insufferable.

Hiyori slammed both hands on the table and turned on Ichigo dangerously, "Kurosaki! Where the _hell_ have you been?! No one's seen you in over a month!"

Ichigo let out a low growl. "It's none of your _damn_ business, woman!"

"Pbbt, you've probably been sulking in your apartment all alone clinging to the artwork your mom left you," she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms indignantly under her small chest, "I bet Inoue's been worrying herself sick over an incompetent dickhead like you! Honestly, she's too good for you."

"Whatever, you crazy bitch, I have nothing to say to you! I don't owe you an explanation."

Hiyori gasped and turned to her boyfriend, "Shinji! Are you gonna let him talk to me like that?!" Shinji sighed.

"Woman, just leave the man alone and shut the hell up!" Hiyori let out a high pitched squeal of anger.

"Fine! You're such a pushover! You're not getting any tonight, I hope you're aware." With this, she sat back in her chair and pouted angrily. "What the hell you lookin' at, dickhead?" she asked Ichigo who was glaring at her.

"Something extremely unpleasant to the sight, I'm happy to report." This flared up Hiyori, but Shinji pulled her down with one arm.

"OK, I think we should get going now…I'll pay Ichigo, don't worry about it," Shinji said while getting up to reach his wallet in his back jean pocket. Ichigo stood up with him.

"No, you don't have to, it was my treat, and I asked you to come…"

"No, no," Shinji cut in, "seriously, it's cool. Don't you want to save money for that painting you were going to buy? Hey, every penny counts!" Ichigo gave in with that. He wasn't in a mood to argue.

"You're still collecting, dickhead?" Hiyori asked.

"Yes, in fact, I still am."

"Oh. I thought you'd give that up since, you know, your mother died," Hiyori said insensitively. Ichigo just glared at her.

"Hiyori, compassion, yah?" Shinji said grabbing his girlfriend's arm roughly.

"Hey! I'm just stating a fact!"

"I haven't gone to a show since her death," Ichigo informed her listlessly before their arguing could continue. Shinji looked over at him sadly.

"You know there's gonna be an auction tomorrow…"

"I know. _Argenteuil_ is being auctioned there." Ichigo looked to the side almost in distress.

"So… are you going to go?" Shinji questioned. Ichigo shuffled his feet and put his hands in his pockets. He looked down and shook his head.

"Why not? You've been looking for that painting."

"I don't… think I'm ready." Shinji stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled determinedly at Ichigo.

"You should go. It might be almost… therapeutic." Ichigo looked up at his friend.

"I'll think about it."

Shinji smiled, "Alright, you think about it. Take Inoue, if you decide to go." Hiyori scoffed.

"Pfft, he's not gonna take her even if he did decide to go. He enjoys leaving his girlfriend out of his life."

Ichigo looked at her angrily and announced, "Of _course_, Shinji! Why would I think of going without Inoue? She'll be coming with me if I decide to go, of course."

"Dickhead."

"Crazy bitch."

"Alright you two!" intervened Shinji, "Let's go Hiyori." He nodded his head at Ichigo. "Think about it," he said and turned to leave. Hiyori followed.

* * *

The rest of the school day passed by rather quickly. He barely noticed it go by. He barely saw his professors' lessons on the board behind them. He barely heard their instructions. He was in turmoil inside. Should he attend the auction in which they would have the painting he… and his mother, had been looking for? He didn't 

want to place himself in a situation where he would be forced to think about his mother… But on the other hand, he wanted to feel himself closer to her. Art made him feel like his mother was always there, whispering in his ear. He longed for that feeling again.

As he mounted his bike and fastened his helmet on his head, he thought about how long it had been since he'd gone to see their art collection. He decided to leave it in the attic of the family clinic, where it had always been. The attic had become almost like a shrine to his mother. He feared going inside for the memories he knew the room would bring back. He would remember admiring the pieces of art with his mother, and accompanying her on her hunts. It was a hobby of hers since she was a teen, and proceeded to pass on to her son. It was an avocation that he and his mother shared. It was special only to them.

Before his mother died, they were in search of a particular collection. His mother had always loved French renaissance art. She had chosen her favorites, and he agreed with most of them. With that, they had set off to find them. They already had five; three paintings, one marble sculpture, and one ceramic cup. The next available artwork on the list was the painting _The Bridge at Argenteuil _by Claude Monet. It was being auctioned in Tokyo this weekend. The painting was worth a substantial amount of money, 12.4 million to be exact. He just hoped he was the only one there interested in it; he didn't want the auction to go up too high. He had a ¥1.3 billion budget on the painting.

His father's clinic didn't make an awful lot of money, but it did help with buying these works of art. The money came mostly from his mother's earnings and savings over the years, and from a small fortune his mother had inherited from her wealthy parents. It was… a bit difficult to finance their hobby, but Ichigo and his mother always found a way.

On his way to the drug store to pick up a pack of beer to drink with Chad, Ichigo decided that he would go to the auction. He missed the closeness he felt to his mother every time he admired a painting. Tomorrow, he would retrieve the money from the bank account he and his mother had set apart for their hobby and go to the auction with Inoue in hand. He would call her after he got home from Chad's and make sure she had nothing else planned.

Coming to a halt at a stop light, he took in a deep breath. He was rather excited about his plans for tomorrow.

* * *

Sado Yasutora's front door swung open and Sado's head popped out. Ichigo smiled when he saw him and lifted his left arm, revealing a six pack of beer.

"Need some company?" said Ichigo, smirking. Chad grinned and let Ichigo in.

After taking off his shoes at the door, the first room Ichigo stepped in was the living room. There weren't many furnishings or pictures adorning the walls. A simple television, coffee table, and painting over the couch were enough for Chad. The floors were covered with white carpet, recently vacuumed. There were few things in the place, but Chad kept it very clean.

Ichigo and Chad silently walked to the couch and sat down. Ichigo leaned forward and placed the beer on the coffee table. Before retracting, he pulled one out of the group. Chad followed suit.

They sat in comfortable silence drinking their beers. They needn't have said anything. They then simultaneously placed their feet on the table, and closed their eyes. It was Ichigo that spoke first.

"Looking forward to the weekend." Chad said nothing. "I'm going to an auction," Chad looked at him and raised his eyebrows at this, "with Inoue."

"You're never going to stop calling her by her family name." It was a statement, not a question.

"I've always done it," Ichigo shrugged, "it's almost like a nickname, now."

Chad smirked slightly and shook his head. "An auction, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"It's not too early?"

"I thought it was… but I guess I miss that feeling. The one I get when I admire artwork."

"I've never met anyone that loves art like you or your mom," Chad smirked.

"You should come with me again one day. Maybe you should come with us tomorrow."

"I have plans… my class is going to the _Tokyo-to Shashin Bijutsukan,_ the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography."

"Alright. Well, next time, I guess." Ichigo turned his head and smirked at his friend. He grabbed for another beer. Chad already had a new one.

"I miss the good old days," Ichigo said.

"When everyone went to school together?"

"Yeah… now everyone goes to different schools… Ishida's in the United States. You and Tatsuki are in Kaseigakuin, Inoue's in LCB, and Shinji and I are in Todai…"

"We're all… separated," finished Chad.

"… It's weird, isn't it? Growing up?"

"Yeah… it seemed like just yesterday you were crying for your mom to pick you up from school 'cause Tatsuki was making fun of you."

"Hey! I'm not thinking _that_ far in the past," Ichigo started.

Chad chuckled, "Well it really wasn't that long ago…"

"Yes it was, damn it!"

"Alright, alright…" at this, Ichigo leaned back down into the couch.

Silence dominated once more.

"I was sad, too, you know," Chad spoke. Ichigo knew what he was referring to without having to ask. "She was like my second mom. She treated all of us like her kids. Ishida that didn't have a mother, and Inoue, Shinji and I that didn't have parents at all… we were all really thankful to her. We were all really sad, too. But hey, at least you still have your old man. And your sisters."

"Heh, yeah…" Ichigo smiled. "I don't think anyone's as heartbroken as my old man. Even me. He loved her. She was his world. She was our universe. I'm just thankful that she had enough time to raise Karin and Yuzu. They're both 17. They're young women now."

"Yeah… I can't believe you guys never caught it."

"No one did. She would get headaches, but everyone just thought that's all they were… headaches."

"Did you and your sisters get tested?"

"Yeah, Yuzu had it." Chad started at this. He looked at Ichigo, shocked. Ichigo looked at his face and smirked, "Don't worry about it, they removed it."

"Surgically?" Chad asked. Chad didn't get too excited about much, but he looked worried.

"Yeah. Only she had it in her abdominal region."

"Oh… what's the difference?" Chad asked, concern still not gone from his voice.

"Mom had it in her brain. What Yuzu had was not any more or less dangerous than the one in your brain. Just… different locations. They're all still aneurysms. If you don't catch it before it bursts… well… you know what happened to my mom."

Chad relaxed a little. "Yeah… but Yuzu's okay? She's not in any danger-"

Ichigo cut in, "Nah, she's fine. They caught it in time." At this, Chad plopped back down on the couch.

"You and Karin-"

"-Karin and I were in the clear," smirked Ichigo.

"That's good…"

"Yeah. Wanna watch TV?" asked Ichigo.

"Hah, sure."

* * *

Chad and Ichigo were watching a soccer game on TV. They'd stayed in the same position for almost five hours, not saying much of anything. Ichigo felt his cell phone ring in his pocket. He took it out and saw that it was Inoue again. He decided to pick it up this time.

"Hey," he said into the receiver.

"_Hey! I'm… not disturbing you?" _Inoue asked from the other line.

"Nah, I was gonna call you as soon as I was home from Chad's."

"_Ah! You're at Chad's!"_

"Yeap."

"_Tell him I say hello!"_

Ichigo turned to Chad, "Inoue says hi."

Chad nodded his head.

"He says hi too," Ichigo said to Inoue.

"_Tell him I say hi to Tatsuki too! And that I hope to see them soon!" _squealed Inoue, giggling with glee.

"Uuh, she says hi to Tatsuki, and that she hopes to see you guys soon," Ichigo repeated to Chad.

"Mmm, same," replied Chad, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Same, he says," Ichigo said, turning away from Chad. Inoue giggled some more, and Ichigo smiled.

"_So, why were you going to call me?"_ Inoue asked.

"Oh, uh, what are you doing tomorrow?" Ichigo questioned.

"_Umm, I _was _gonna go see a movie with a couple of friends from my university…"_

"Well cancel, 'cause we're going to an auction." He heard Inoue gasp on the other line.

"_R-Really? O-Okay, I'll tell the girls we'll go next week… what time?" _ She sounded excited, to say the least.

"Well it starts at six-thirty, but I'll pick you up at five so we can have dinner beforehand, sound good?" suggested Ichigo.

"_Sure! I'll be ready by five!"_

Ichigo smiled. "'Kay."

"_Thanks for asking me…"_ Ichigo could almost hear the smile in her voice.

"Hey, you're supposed to be my girlfriend! No need to thank me." Inoue giggled on the other line at this.

"_I know, I was just being… polite. You sound good, Ichigo…"_

"Thanks, Inoue."

"_Sure. Well… have fun with Chad!"_

"Sure, Inoue, talk to you later."

"_Bye…"_ Ichigo hung up quickly. She really loved him. He wished he could reciprocate. She wasn't the one for him… it was obvious to him. He hated himself for not being able to break up with her.

Ichigo thought about this for a few minutes before getting up from the couch. He put down an empty can of beer he had been drinking on the coffee table and turned to Chad. Chad turned off the TV and got up after him.

"Gotta go?" asked Chad.

"Yeah. Gotta get an early start on a project due Monday. I'll be gone all day tomorrow, and then I'll only have Sunday."

"Alright. I gotta get to bed anyways; I have to go jogging early tomorrow morning."

"No, see, you don't actually _have_ to. You're just obsessed with it," Ichigo said, pointing an accusing finger at Chad.

Chad shrugged, "It's a good time to think, gather my thoughts."

"Good," Ichigo said, patting Chad's back, "well I got to get going."

"Yeah, man. Hey, come back anytime," Chad said, walking Ichigo to the front door.

"Yeah, sure. I'm leaving you the rest of the beer," Ichigo smirked.

"That'll be gone by noon tomorrow." Both Ichigo and Chad laughed heartily at this. Well, Chad probably not as much as Ichigo.

Before mounting his bike, Ichigo stuffed a stick of gum in his mouth and chewed. He checked himself to make sure he was okay to drive. He hadn't drunk that much had he? Whether he had or hadn't, he needed to get home, so he mounted his bike and put on his helmet.

When he got home, he put phone to charge and got out his laptop. He needed ideas on the research paper he had been assigned for physics. He wrote all his notes on his laptop, one his parents had gifted him on his first year of college. He made himself a sandwich and dimmed the lights in his living room. He sat down on his couch and propped his laptop on the left armrest and turned on his laptop. Looking at the clock in the computer he saw that it was ten PM at night. This was to be a long night of research. He just hoped he would wake in time to go to the bank the following morning.

* * *

At exactly ten PM, Neliel Tu Oderschvank heard keys jingle in the keyhole of the front door, and watched as Kuchiki Rukia walked hastily inside their spacious apartment. Nel giggled at her from their couch. Rukia's hair was disheveled, and she still had her _Kinokuniya Shoten, _Books Kinokuniya, uniform on. She was carrying her book bag in her arms which appeared to have a large rip at the bottom. As such, all her books and papers were falling out. Upon noticing this, Nel laughed even harder.

"It is not funny!" Rukia exclaimed from the door. She struggled with the book bag a bit more until she just dropped it and all her things on the ground in a huff. "Aah! Whatever, leavin' it there." She stepped over the small heap and walked to the couch where Nel was comfortably seated.

"You can stop laughing now," Rukia said to Nel, sitting next to her.

"Okay, okay… okay. I'm fine." She laughed some more.

"Ugh! Nel!"

"Okay!" exclaimed Nel, making herself stop laughing, "What the hell happened?"

"'What the hell happened?' You left without telling me you were leaving, so I had to close up all by myself, and then I had to take the train 'cause you took the car, and-"

"Whoa!" interrupted Nel, "You knew I had to send that money to my parents…"

"Yeah, but you could have told me you were leaving so I could have prepared myself mentally!"

Nel laughed, "Miss Spoiled not used to the big bad metro?"

"Hey! It was only my… third time on one of those things!" Rukia said, counting the times she had been on a subway with her fingers.

"And apparently things didn't go so well…" Nel leaned her head forward and looked at her ripped book bag.

"Ugg, you don't want to know," Rukia responded, closing her eyes in discomfort.

Nel sniffed around a bit, "Do I smell vomit?"

"Some kid upchucked all over me on the train."

Nel laughed loudly at this. Pinching her nose she said, "Go take a shower!"

"Yes, yes, I'm going," said Rukia, getting up from the couch, "could you pick up my stuff?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll put it in your room." With that, Rukia set off for a shower.

* * *

Coming out of her shower, Rukia heard her cell phone ringing. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body hastily. She flipped her phone open quickly when she saw it was her brother.

"Nii-san!" she said into the receiver.

"_How are you, Rukia?"_ greeted Kuchiki Byakuya, in his usual calm and collected voice.

"Fine and you?"

"_I am well. I have called to inform you that Takashi will be picking you up tomorrow at five thirty sharp."_

"Great, thank you so much for lending him to me, Nii-san!"

"_It is no trouble, you are a Kuchiki."_ Rukia smiled. Technically, she wasn't. Nonetheless, she considered herself as such much.

"Yup, I guess I am. Are you sure you don't want to come? You used to love going to art shows and auctions with Hisana and I…"

"_I cannot attend tomorrow, but perhaps one day I will accompany you once more."_

"Alright. Thanks so much, Nii-san, I'll call you Sunday and tell you how it went."

"_I look forward to it. Goodbye."_

As Rukia hung up the phone, Nel came waltzing in and plopped herself down on Rukia's bed. "Who was that?" she asked.

"Nii-san," responded Rukia, "called to say Takashi was comin' to pick us up at five thirty."

"Oh, cool! So what do you wanna buy at the auction?"

"_The Bridge at Argenteuil," _Rukia said, drying herself off and looking for undergarments.

"Oooh, Monet."

"Yup, can't wait! I've been looking for that painting! So glad it's finally up for auction."

"I pity the fools who go against your family in an auction," Nel giggled. "I think your brother's the richest man in Japan at the moment."

"Probably," Rukia replied, "I'm really excited about this auction for some reason… I have a weird feeling about it. Like something really good's going to happen."

"Well, that's good, yeah? You'll probably get that painting!" exclaimed Nel, leaning forward to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Oh I'm not worried about that…" Rukia was moisturizing her legs. "I just have a good feeling about it."

"Okay, well you go ahead with your 'good feelings'," giggled Nel.

"Shut up and help me get this on my back!"

Nel giggled again and hopped off the bed. She had to admit she was excited. She liked auctions, too. Not that she would buy anything, but she enjoyed the auctioning process. She lived vicariously through Rukia whenever they went. Kuchiki Rukia was ruthless, and never lost something she wanted to anyone. And with all the money her family had, 12.4 million was chump change.

* * *

**A/N:** This is my first story =). Read and review! Before you do, however, please,

**READ THIS:**

I'd like to thank my wonderful friend **jazzjackrabbit** for alllll help she gave me! She gave me some wonderful ideas, and I'm so glad I went with them!

I've been working on this for about three weeks now. I hope it turned out well! I can't say when my next chapter will be out, but I'll try hard to get it to you before three weeks! I hope you enjoyed… Again, **first story**, I do accept flames -smile-. I'm very open to criticism.

Also, I know Rukia calls Byakuya her Nii-sama in real Bleach, but in my story, they're closer than that, as they've been through a lot, so she calls him Nii_-san_. It's just a preference :-)


	2. La Vita Nuova

**Disclaimer: **I do not own **Bleach**, John Clare's poem **First Love**, or Dante Alighieri's poem **La Vita Nuova. **I do, however, own this story.

**First Love**

I ne'er was struck before that hour  
With love so sudden and so sweet.  
Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower  
And stole my heart away complete.  
My face turned pale, a deadly pale.  
My legs refused to walk away,  
And when she looked what could I ail  
My life and all seemed turned to clay.  
And then my blood rushed to my face  
And took my eyesight quite away.  
The trees and bushes round the place  
Seemed midnight at noonday.  
I could not see a single thing;  
Words from my eyes did start.  
They spoke as chords do from the string,  
And blood burnt round my heart.  
Are flowers the winter's choice  
Is love's bed always snow  
She seemed to hear my silent voice  
Not love appeals to know.  
I never saw so sweet a face  
As that I stood before.  
My heart has left its dwelling place  
And can return no more.

**-La Vita Nuova-**

"_In that book which is  
My memory. . .  
On the first page  
That is the chapter when  
I first met you  
Appear the words. . .  
Here begins a new life"_

Kurosaki Ichigo's alarm clock rang loudly on the bedside table. He was a deep sleeper, so it would ring for at least twenty full minutes before he actually stirred. He finally stretched out his arm and turned the alarm off before slowly easing the covers off his body. He felt dizzy from lack of sleep, it was three AM before he had put his laptop down the night before, but he knew it would subside with a good shower and a light breakfast. Thinking about a warm shower motivated him to get out of bed.

He had a relatively small one bedroom apartment. He was on the second floor of an eight story apartment building. His father and student loans paid for the rent. His house was well furnished; he had enough space in his bedroom for a queen sized bed, a small desk in which to do homework, and a loveseat. The only bathroom 

in the apartment was directly connected to the bedroom. In his living room he had a couch, a lay-z-boy and a stereo. Next to the stereo on the back wall, stood a small bookshelf where he kept his school books, art history books, and books he read for entertainment. He had a small end table by his couch where he kept the house phone. Another phone hung next to the refrigerator in the kitchen, which was connected to the living room by a bar countertop. He didn't have room for a dining table, so he ate on the bar countertop. He used to live with Shinji but the coming and goings of Hiyori always got on his last nerve. He liked the solitude, for the most part.

Walking into the kitchen, Ichigo casually glanced at the only piece of art that he had in his apartment: a very expensive photograph called _The Boulevards of Paris_ _(1843)_ by William Henry Fox Talbot. Ichigo mounted it on the hallway leading up to his living room. He let no one touch it.

In the kitchen, Ichigo began making his breakfast: a hot bowl of rice with nattō on top. It had been a while since he'd made a decent Japanese breakfast, and he was craving it after such a long time. As he sat on the bar countertop, he organized his thoughts on the day ahead.

After breakfast he figured he would continue his project for physics, and get as far as he could before he had to stop by the bank to make his withdrawal. After a quick bite to eat, he thought it would be good to visit his family. He hadn't had a chance to visit them since the funeral and he thought he'd hang out with them for a while before he headed to Inoue's.

Thinking about these things Ichigo glanced at his watch and realize it was already eight thirty AM. If he wanted to get a significant amount of work done before going to the bank he had to start soon…

--

Rukia and Nel hastily walked through the mall in Tokyo, trying desperately to hold on to all their shopping bags without falling over. They had been shopping all morning, looking for the perfect dresses to wear that night.

"Hurry up so I can put these down," Nel exclaimed behind Rukia, lightly pushing her, "This is _heavy, _my fingers are getting numb!"

"Don't be so whiney, buck up!" Rukia said, panting slightly.

"Yeah well, you can say that, I'm holding more bags than you," said Nel, walking into the food court behind Rukia.

"Yeah, well, I'm smaller than you, aren't I," Rukia said. It was more of a statement than a question. "Look, there's an empty table," she said, pointing to a small table near the middle of the food court.

They sat down hastily, glad to have a place to set down their bags and relax their sore legs. They had called Renji before leaving the apartment, asking him to accompany them to the movie theatres. He was meeting them at the food court.

"You want to eat here before going to the theatres?" asked Rukia.

"Yeah, let's see if Renji wants to… where the hell is he?"

"I don't know, he said he'd be here at eleven-thirty sharp," replied Rukia, quickly glancing at her watch.

"Well he better get here soon or –"

"Or what," a voice behind Nel cut in "gonna throw your purse at me?"

Rukia squealed and jumped up from her seat when she saw Renji.

"You!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. "You bastard, you don't call people! I missed you!"

Renji readily wrapped his arms around Rukia and laughed. "You're never home to pick up the phone!"

"That's why they invented cell phones!" Rukia exclaimed. She let go of Renji and set herself back down on her chair.

Nel got up from her chair and hugged Renji after Rukia. "Don't bother Rukia, he's too busy with his _school_ to be calling us up," she said sarcastically. Rukia and Nel laughed at this.

"Yeah, yeah, keep laughing," Renji said, feigning contempt, "I _was_ gonna invite you guys to a bonfire next week with a few friends but since you're so _hostile_, I don't know…"

Rukia and Nel both started talking at the same time, laughing and exclaiming how they were just joking. They slapped his arm and asked him about the bonfire.

"Well, who's going?" Rukia asked smiling broadly at Renji.

Renji got comfortable his chair and answered, "A few people, some you know and some you don't."

"Like…?" Nel chimed in.

"Well Matsumoto's going," at this, Rukia and Nel perked up and expressed their delight, "-yup, as is Nemu, Shuuhei, Ikkaku, and Hirako Shinji, one of my classmates at Todai, and his girlfriend, Sarugaki Hiyori." Rukia and Nel squealed whenever Renji mentioned someone they knew.

"Shuuhei?! Hisagi Shuuhei?! And Nemu, _oh_ I missed Nemu," Rukia said with excitement, "I haven't seen Nemu since last year when we all went down south…"

"Who's this Shinji guy?" asked Nel, "How come you haven't introduced us, you've been at Todai for three years!"

"Well, I just met him, didn't I!" exclaimed Renji, "He's a really cool guy; down to earth. You'll like him. His girlfriend on the other hand…. She's an acquired taste."

Rukia and Nel laughed and Nel said, "Why, she a bitch?"

"That's an understatement. But sure, you could call her a bitch. I personally call her an angry rabid monkey." All three laughed at this.

"Mm, so I guess she and I will get along," Rukia said, "after all, we bitches gotta stick together."

"Oh I can see you two hitting it off _real_ well," Renji replied, sweat dropping.

After recovering from laughing, Rukia asked, "So who's driving?"

"Uh, Ikkaku's driving Shuuhei and the girls; I'm driving Shinji and maybe you two if you come. We're meeting up at the beach."

"Okay, yeah I guess we'll go… we don't have anything planned, do we, Nel?"

"I don't think so… but who cares, we'll cancel, I wanna go to the _beach!_" Nel replied.

"Okay then," Rukia laughed, "count us in, Renji!"

"Great! So what're we watching?"

"Umm, I don't know, let's go see what's showing…" Rukia answered.

"Let's eat, first!" Nel whined.

"Yeah, I'm starving," Renji agreed, putting a hand on his stomach.

"Alright fine, but we have to hurry, Nel and I have to get home and get ready… wait, why don't we just buy some hotdogs at the cinema and eat them while we watch the movie?"

"That sounds good… I'll get nachos!" said Nel, gleefully.

"Fine, Renji, can you help us carry these out to the car?" asked Rukia, pointing to their shopping bags on the ground.

Renji started off the chair and replied, "Yeah, sure, where did you park?"

The three dropped off the bags in Rukia and Nel's car, and walked to the movie theatres, which was only about ten minutes away. They bought the movie tickets, the food, and ate while they waited for the movie to start. They got out of the movie theatres at around two, and promised to keep in touch between now and their trip to the beach.

--

Kurosaki Ichigo was on his bike, on his way to his family's clinic. He had to admit he was kind of nervous… in what state would he find his family? Would they be going about their business as usual, or would he find them still in mourning? They had buried Kurosaki Masaki but a month ago, but she had died two months ago. Would he meet smiling faces, or eyes swollen from many shed tears? If the latter was the case… he was afraid to go. He didn't want to sink back into his usual depression; but he couldn't possibly put off seeing his family any longer. He was sorry he hadn't gone sooner…

He parked his bike right in front of the clinic and walked up the front steps. The spare key was in the usual spot, under the flower pot his mother had placed right outside their door. Ichigo noticed that the whole plant was dying… no one had watered it in over two months. Stepping inside his house, he felt a strong feeling of nostalgia overcome him. He took in a deep breath and sighed… it smelled the same after all these years. It only made his heart ache for his mother.

"Anybody home?" he called out. "Old man… Karin… Yuzu," he called, but still there was no answer. _Hmm, _he thought, _I guess they're not home._

Their dog, Kon, hadn't come to greet him at the door; that should have been the first tell tale sign of their absence. They must've gone to the park or something of the like. He went into the kitchen to get a glass of water, and as he drank, he saw that on the calendar on the fridge, someone had written that Karin had a soccer game today. _Oh… that's where they are…_ He figured it was at his old high school, where his sisters now attended, so he decided to join his family there. But first, he wanted to visit the place that haunted him the most in this house…

Ichigo walked slowly but deliberately up the stairs to the attic. Opening the door, you could tell that no one had been inside since his mother's death. His mother usually kept the artwork dusted and in perfect condition, but without her ministrations, the whole place was dusty and almost forlorn. Ichigo closed the door behind him, and leaned back on it. He stayed that way for at least a full minute, taking in the room. The walls were filled with shelves large and small where there were small sculptures, paintings, photo albums, books, and essays. The back wall directly in front of Ichigo was left without shelves, and was instead reserved for paintings, large and small. On the floor there were the bigger sculptures, and a few chests and chairs neatly organized. This was Kurosaki Masaki's collection, passed on to her son, Kurosaki Ichigo. It was a collection of all the artwork she had accumulated throughout her life. When her wealthy parents died, all the paintings and sculptures in their large, elegantly decorated home and her own father's art collection were passed down to her. And now it all belonged to Ichigo.

Ichigo walked slowly to the middle of the room and sat on the floor with his knees close to his chest. As he looked straight ahead, he rested his arms on his knees. Straight in front of him was his mother's most prized painting: _The Lady of Shalott (1888) _painted by John William Waterhouse. It hung in the center of the back wall, where the sun from the few windows in the attic could shine upon it. On the wall reserved for paintings, it was the centermost work of art. It was almost as if she was the queen of the collection, and she watched over it carefully. His mother loved this painting; she told Ichigo it was the most difficult piece of art to obtain. Everyone in the world thought it had disappeared from the face of the earth. Masaki didn't want to inform anyone of where the Lady was. As far as she was concerned, the Lady belonged to her, and she wanted to keep her away from nosy, prying eyes. Ichigo intended to keep it this way.

Ichigo reflected on the Lady for a few minutes before prying himself away and heading to his old high school. He wanted to surprise his family there…

--

Ichigo had his arms propped over the fence separating the high school soccer field and the sidewalk. He spotted his family on the bleachers with their dog, Kon fairly quickly. The game was almost over, so he decided to approach them then. It was the last play, and Karin's team was already a goal ahead of the opposition. Ichigo watched his little sister try to shoot the ball into the goal, but it was stopped by the other team's goal keeper. It didn't matter, however, as the game was over, and Karin's team was already up a goal. He watched as the girls' soccer team cheered and huddled together in a group hug. Karin always wanted to play with the boys, but the high school absolutely disallowed this. After one season with her team, she befriended the girls and decided that they were just as tough as the guys. He saw his dad going nuts on the bleachers, and Yuzu happily cheering next to him. Ichigo was slightly surprised, but glad, to see his family smiling.

Ichigo walked around the fence and walked up to his family. Kon was the first to see, or rather smell, him. He came bounding up to Ichigo, jumping up at him and licking his hands. Ichigo bent low and ruffled the hair on his head. When Yuzu saw who Kon had run up to, she screamed, setting off panic in her dad, and ran up to her big brother.

"Yuzu! What's wro-" Isshin didn't finish his sentence as he saw his young daughter run up to his son.

"Onii-chan!!" Yuzu sobbed, burying her face in Ichigo's chest. Ichigo held her and almost felt like crying with her.

"Hey, Yuzu," Ichigo said, lamely.

It wasn't long before Karin saw what was going on. Isshin saw her pushing back tears before turning to her friends and telling them she had to go. He stood back as she walked up to Ichigo.

"Hey, kiddo, I saw you win just now," Ichigo told Karin, still holding on to a crying Yuzu. Karin smirked at her brother.

"I didn't think I'd see you here so soon, Ichi-nii," Karin responded, "I gave you at least another month of sulking alone in your apartment."

Ichigo sweat dropped at her comment. "I see you have so much faith in me…"

Yuzu let go of Ichigo so as to let Karin hug him too, which she did.

"Hey… I'm right there with you, Ichi-nii," Karin said sadly. Ichigo not only heard the sadness in her voice, but physically saw his sister fighting back tears. It was hard to believe, but he could see that the tough, headstrong Karin he was used to was suffering just as much as he was.

In the moment's mood, Ichigo didn't see Isshin's elbow come at him. It made full contact with his face, sending him flying about seven feet. Yuzu squealed and Karin looked at her father, slightly shocked.

Ichigo ran back to his dad and yelled in his face, "What the hell, Old Man?!"

"Don't 'what the hell' me, boy! That's what you get for not coming to visit your mourning family!" With that said, Isshin abruptly jumped on Ichigo, pinning him to the ground, folding his right leg over his back. Ichigo managed to free his hands and punched Isshin in the chin, sending him flying (as per usual) into the bleacher and large banner the school had made with the team's name on it that was being held up by loyal supporters. Everything went tumbling down with Isshin. In the chaos, Ichigo could see his dad attempting to escape the mess, but failing miserably. Ichigo saw this as a chance to escape.

"Come on girls; let's get home so we can talk! Don't worry about dad, he can find his own way home!" he said hurriedly, quickly ushering the girls away without another look back.

"But wait, Onii-chan, what about Ottou-san?!" Yuzu exclaimed.

"Shut up, Yuzu, keep walking!" said Karin, grabbing her sister's arm to keep her from running back.

"But Ottou-san-"

"Don't worry, he knows where we live (_sadly)_!" And with that, the three siblings ran home.

--

Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu were in the Kurosaki home's kitchen, catching up. Yuzu was working on homemade ice cream while Ichigo and Karin sat on the counter.

"I'm sorry I got to the game too late and I didn't see you score," Ichigo apologized.

"That's okay, Ichi-nii. But you should have seen me! It was awesome, I was unstoppable! Those other girls didn't know what hit them," Karin said, excitedly. Ichigo smiled at her.

"I'm glad you've kept playing since… well, you know," Ichigo said.

"Yeah… well it's been pretty different around here. Yuzu's kind of taken over what Mom did…"

"It's so hard to do everything when I have so much homework, though," said Yuzu, "I don't mind doing the cooking, but Okaa-san was amazing… she kept the house clean and fed us and helped us with homework and kept Ottou-san happy all at once… I don't know how she did it. Sometimes I feel like we took her for granted…" Yuzu was on the verge of tears after saying this. Karin went to her and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay, Yuzu. You do a great job," said Karin, trying to comfort her sister.

"I just miss her…" Yuzu said between sobs. Ichigo went to her and hugged her other shoulder.

"We all do, Yuzu," Ichigo said. When Yuzu continued making the ice cream, Ichigo and Karin sat back down.

"What about you, Ichi-nii," Karin started, "how've you been holding up?"

Ichigo shrugged, "Fine… I guess I could be better."

Karin smiled and said, "I think that goes for all of us, Ichi-nii…"

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner…"

"Hey, don't worry about it. We understood that you needed time alone to get your head straight, right, Yuzu?"

"Yeah, Onii-chan, we're just glad you're here now," Yuzu replied.

Before Ichigo could say anything, they heard a loud bang at the door. Isshin was home…

"Oh, Mother," Isshin yelled, walking through the threshold with his hands dramatically in the air, "our children don't appreciate me! They leave me to fend for myself when I _need_ them! What am I to do?!"

"Ottou-san!" Yuzu cried, running to him to check if he was alright.

"Oh, brother," Karin said exasperated.

"'Oh Mother'?" Ichigo repeated.

"Yeah, it's his new 'thing'," Karin answered.

"Ah," Ichigo said, knowing all too well what Karin meant.

"My son!! Won't you come give papa a hug?!" Isshin cried spreading his arms open for Ichigo.

"Not after you elbowed me in the face!" Ichigo retorted.

"But that was necessary, my son! How else will you learn manners?!"

"Whatever, Old Man, I'm not hugging you!!"

"Come to Papa!!" Isshin yelled as he launched himself on Ichigo, hugging Ichigo's face to his chest.

"Get it off!" Ichigo yelled, and Karin came to his aid.

--

After the ordeal in the kitchen, the Kurosaki house was actually silent. Karin and Yuzu were in the kitchen washing their ice cream dishes while Ichigo and Isshin sat silently on the sofa. Ichigo was telling Isshin about his plans for that night.

"An auction, eh?" Isshin said.

"Yup," Ichigo replied.

"Well… I'm glad you're not giving up the habit."

"I don't think I ever could…"

"Your mother would be happy to hear that… have you been up to the attic?"

"Yeah… it looks just like she left it."

"I haven't been able to go in."

Ichigo looked at his dad peculiarly, and then looked away pensively.

"I can't bring myself to get ten feet from it," Isshin continued, "the girls go in every once in a while, though. They just… sit there and look at the art." Isshin rubbed his eyes with his right hand and leaned back in his seat. Suddenly, Isshin looked a decade older than he actually was, sitting on his couch, thinking about his dead wife.

"I'm sorry Old Man…"

"Don't be. It's not your fault. These things happen, and I'm just gonna have to get used to it. But you, Ichigo, don't let this get you so down. You have your whole life ahead of you, and a lot of things going for you. Are you still dating that girl?"

"Inoue? Yeah… I'm taking her to the auction with me tonight," Ichigo answered.

"Good… I'm glad you're not going alone. You need someone there for support."

"Yeah, I guess I do…" Ichigo didn't know what to say. He was glad his dad wasn't asking too many questions about Inoue.

"Why do you still call her by her last name, boy? Haven't you two been dating for a while now?" asked Isshin.

"Yeah, about four years," Ichigo answered.

"So haven't you two gotten closer, or at least enough to start calling each other by your first names? I want some grandchildren, boy!"

_Spoke too soon_, Ichigo thought, exasperated. "Shut up, Old Man! I'm not even thinking about that!"

"Well, start thinking boy, I won't be alive forever and I don't want to die without grandkids!"

"Damn it, Old Man! I don't even want to marry her!"

"You don't?! Then what the hell are you doing with her?"

"I… that's a good question…" Ichigo said, sullenly.

Isshin looked at his son in surprise when Karin and Yuzu walked back into the room.

Karin stopped and stared at Isshin and said, "What's with the tension in this room? Have you been getting serious again, Old Man?"

"Of course not, what makes you say that?!" Isshin exclaimed, changing his demeanor immediately.

"What were you guys talking about?" asked Yuzu.

"Nothing, don't worry about it, Yuzu," Ichigo said, "Well I'm gonna get going." There was an immediate protest from his sisters and father. "I have to, I have to be somewhere in an hour and a half," Ichigo said, looking at his watch.

"So be late!" said Karin.

"I can't, kiddo, I'm sorry," said Ichigo.

"Aww, come by more often, Onii-chan!" said Yuzu, getting up to hug Ichigo.

"Yeah, I will, I promise," Ichigo said. They said their goodbyes, and Isshin made his usual "scene," and with that, Ichigo left to get ready before picking up Inoue.

--

Rukia and Nel were in pajamas with their hair wrapped up in towels after their showers. They were eating before heading off to the auction, as they wouldn't have time to stop by a restaurant.

"Don't eat all the pepperoni!" exclaimed Rukia to Nel.

"Whatever, you're a slow eater," laughed Nel.

Whoever saw the girls arguing would think that they didn't get along well, but this was entirely untrue. The girls had been best friends since primary school; they had lived only a block away. They didn't go to the same 

school, as Rukia went to an exclusive private school and Nel's parents could only afford to send her to public school. Nel always had to work hard to get what she got. Rukia admired her greatly for this.

"I really liked seeing Renji today," said Rukia.

"Yeah, I missed him! I swear it had been way too long," Nel said, taking a sip of soda.

"Oh I know, I miss the days when we would go to the arcade or swim in the river," Rukia said, reminiscing.

"I miss our trips to Osaka!" squealed Nel.

Renji and Rukia grew up attending the same prep schools, and he would always go with Rukia when she would hang out with Nel. He and Nel became good friends as well. When Rukia and Renji's family would fly down south to Osaka, Rukia would pay for Nel's way since Nel could never pay for it herself. There their threesome became a foursome, as they were also good friends with Shiba Kaien. The Shibas and the Kuchikis were good friends; Kaien's dad and Rukia's brother did business together. It was also no secret that Kuchiki Rukia was in love with Shiba Kaien.

"Yeah, me too… I miss Kaien," Rukia said, looking away.

Nel gasped and said, "Oh, I'm such an idiot! I'm sorry for bringing it up, Rukia!"

"No, don't worry about it; I don't mind thinking about it… I think about it all the time."

"Heh… I don't know how you do it," marveled Nel.

Rukia shrugged, "I've come to terms with his death." Nel wrapped her arms around Rukia's arms and placed her head on Rukia's shoulder.

"You're so brave. I don't know if I could even get out of bed with so much tragedy in my past. First your sister… and then Kaien."

Rukia looked out into space before answering, "It was all meant to be. There's nothing I could do to change fate, so I'm better off being happy with the moments I spent with them instead of drowning in my misery. Plus, how could I sink into misery with you, Renji, and Matsumoto to cheer me up whenever I needed."

"Of course we did, Rukia. You're our friend, we'll always be here whenever you need us," Nel said, giving Rukia's shoulders a tight squeeze.

"Okay! Let's go get ready! Takashi will be here soon," Rukia laughed.

"Let me finish this piece!" Nel said, stuffing the last slice in her mouth.

The girls then quickly ran to the master bathroom of their apartment and finished dressing themselves. Rukia never took too long, she liked the simple look, but Nel always took forever to do her hair. When they were finished, they stood together in front of their closet mirror.

Rukia was wearing a peach colored dress that reached just above her knees. It was strapless, with beautiful embroidery in the bust area, decorated with peach colored rhinestones. It was tight in the chest area, but fell loosely down her torso. The bottom seam wrapped itself right above her knees, keeping the dress in place. Around her neck she wore a matching choker with peach colored pearls. On her wrist she had a bracelet that matched the chocker. Her hair was combed neatly and fell softly on her shoulders. On her feet she wore delicate slippers with a small heel. The color scheme of the outfit made her skin glow, making her look like a goddess.

Nel was wearing a fitting black halter dress that went just below her knees. It dipped low in the back, and stopped on her waist, leaving her barebacked. She wore high heeled slippers with it, and matching earrings and bracelet. She had her hair pulled back into a bun. She too looked beautiful.

"I love that dress! You look stunning," exclaimed Nel, referring to what Rukia was wearing.

"Thanks, so do you!" as Rukia said this, the bell rung. "Takashi's here, let's go!"

They hurriedly grabbed their purses and headed to the door. There, Takashi greeted them and led them to one of the Kuchiki family's Rolls-Royce. They drove off quickly; they didn't want to be late.

--

Kurosaki Ichigo and Inoue Orihime sat uncomfortably across from one another. They were waiting for their food in Shiodome. It was an elegant restaurant, but not so much that it would make Ichigo or Orihime feel uncomfortable.

Orihime looked at Ichigo, and smiled warmly. "Thank you for inviting me."

"No problem, I told you not to thank me," Ichigo said smirking, resting his head on a fisted hand.

Inoue blushed and said, "Sorry."

"No need to apologize either!" chuckled Ichigo, rolling his eyes.

"Okay…" Inoue said, almost in a whisper. Ichigo shook his head and smiled. "So what painting do you want to buy?"

"_The Bridge at Argenteuil."_

"I bet it's beautiful," Inoue said, smiling.

"Yeah, my mom really wanted that one… she waited a long time for it to be up for sale." Inoue smiled, not knowing what to say.

"It'll be our four year anniversary soon," Inoue said.

"Oh?" Ichigo said, a bit taken aback.

"Yes, and I was thinking maybe we could go somewhere special."

"Sure, you tell me where, and we'll go," Ichigo said kindly.

Inoue perked up and said, "Well, I was thinking maybe we could make a trip to Okinawa together."

Ichigo raised his eyebrows at the suggestion. "Well sure… It's been a while since I've been to Okinawa. Sounds good!"

"Good! How'd it go with your family today?" As Inoue said this, the server dropped off their food.

"Well," Ichigo said, taking a bite of is chicken, "they're doing really well. I saw Karin win a soccer game."

"Oh that's wonderful! I really miss them."

"I'll take you to see them sometime soon, then." They softly smiled at one another.

After their dinner, they set off to the auction, and arrived with only a few minutes to spare.

--

The auction was being held in a medium sized auditorium. There were three sections of chairs neatly organized in front of a small platform. It was quickly filled with people; spectators and bidders. Bidders were to give their names and contact information at the front desk, in case they won one of the paintings being auctioned. They were given a number, and were supplied with a paddle. The paddle had the bidder's number on it; when a bid was placed, and an item won, the auctioneer knew who the winning bidder was.

After signing in, Rukia and Nel sat in the third row, close to the stage. Takashi decided to stay outside with the car; he would be called in when Rukia had the painting.

Rukia and Nel watched as the auctioneer walked onto the stage, where there was a podium waiting for him. Rukia was surprised to see that he was Caucasian. The man stood behind the podium, surveyed his audience, and spoke.

"Welcome and good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is John Peel, and I will be conducting this auction." The man spoke perfect Japanese, which surprised most people in the audience. "As is stated in your catalogue, four exquisite paintings will be auctioned this evening: two French nineteenth century Impressionism paintings, _Oarsmen at Chatou, 1879_ by Auguste Renoir and _The Bridge at Argenteuil, 1874_ by Claude Monet; _Venice: The Dogana and San Giorgio Maggiore 1834, _a British landscape painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner; and _The Love Letter_, _1750_, an eighteenth century French painting by François Boucher. We will begin the auction with _Oarsmen at Chatou_." As he said this, two men brought out the painting and placed it carefully beside the podium. "For those of you who are new to the auctioning process, some brief instructions: I will call out a price, if you wish to place a bid, just raise your paddle. The highest bidder wins the painting. Now, the suggested opening bid for this painting is ¥3.1 million, any bidders?"

A paddle quickly rose to the air, followed by another, now making the bid ¥6.2 million. Another, and then another, and then another bidder raised their paddles, raising it to ¥50 million.

"¥100 million, any takers?" Another paddle rose into the air. "There it is, ¥200 million, does anyone want to beat this man's bid for ¥200 million?" And someone did. "¥400 million, anyone for four hundred million?" The auctioneer waited ten seconds before announcing the painting sold for ¥200 million.

"Enjoy your painting Mr. Kobayashi," said Mr. John Peel, looking at the papers on his podium. _Oarsmen at Chatou_ was taken away while _The Bridge at Argenteuil_ was being brought in. "This next painting is _The Bridge at Argenteuil_ by Claude Monet. It's a beautiful impressionism painting, so let's start the bid at ¥5.1 million."

Rukia straightened up in her seat and was about to raise her paddle, but was beat to it by someone behind her.

"First taker, for ¥5.1 million, ¥10.2 million, anyone?" Rukia raised her paddle quickly. "¥20.3, we're looking for ¥20.3!" Another bidder to Rukia's left raised his paddle. "¥40.6!" Rukia raised her paddle again, placing her highest bidder, but the bidder behind her raised his paddle instantly after she did. "¥162.5 million! Anyone got ¥162.5?" A bidder to Rukia's right raised her paddle, but Rukia beat hers out immediately. "¥650 million is next!" The bidder straight behind her raised his paddle once more. This made the bid next bid ¥1.3 billion, which, coincidentally, was what the painting was bought for last time it was up for auction. Rukia raised her paddle with confidence. "There's ¥1.3 billion, we're asking for ¥2.6 billion, does anyone want to go higher?" After a few seconds, the auctioneer again pointed to the man straight behind Rukia. "¥5.6 billion, anyone got it?"

Rukia looked at Nel in shock. Nel looked back at Rukia with her eyes wide. While Rukia laggardly raised her paddle, Nel ducked behind her chair and looked back at the person who was trying to outbid Rukia.

"Rukia!" Nel whispered fiercely, slapping Rukia in the arm.

"What?!" Rukia whispered back, as the auctioneer asked for ¥10.4 billion.

"It's a guy! And he's really, really cute! Weird hair, though," Nel whispered, giggling.

Rukia looked at Nel like she had grown two heads and said, "What?! Who cares, no he's not! Let me see!" Rukia ducked with Nel and peered at the man behind her. She was shocked by his bright orange hair. He had a boyish face that Rukia was strangely attracted to. He looked about her age, and he was handsome, alright. She saw him worriedly raise his paddle again.

"¥20.8!" the auctioneer announced, looking at Rukia, who had stood back up in her chair.

"Good looking or not, my _ass_ if I'm gonna let him get it," Rukia whispered fiercely. She raised her paddle elegantly, which was met with gasps from everyone in the auditorium. She looked ahead at the auctioneer with a smug face; she knew the boy couldn't possibly offer anything higher.

--

Ichigo saw a slender hand raising a paddle directly in front of him, and he knew it was over. He couldn't go any higher… the next bid would be ¥41.6, and he couldn't pay that. The auctioneer looked at him, announcing the new price. Ichigo threw his head back and waved it off, indicating that he was done. After about five seconds heard the auctioneer as he announced _The Bridge at Argenteuil_ sold to "Miss Kuchiki."

He felt Inoue rub his arm in comfort, but he didn't pay her any mind. He opened his eyes and saw as "Miss Kuchiki" and her company left their seats and headed for the door. He couldn't quite see Miss Kuchiki very well, she was a short woman, and was being obscured by her friend behind her. Her company had quite unusual aqua colored hair.

Ichigo scowled as he watched them walk through the doors, and decided to go after them.

"Ichigo! Where are you going?" whispered Inoue.

"Wait here," was Ichigo's short reply. Inoue watched him leave with a frightened look on her face.

Ichigo walked through the doors, and quickly got visual of the two women. They were stopped at the corner, and the aqua haired woman was on a cell phone. Miss Kuchiki had her back turned to him. When the woman on the phone saw him walking towards them, she said something to Miss Kuchiki that Ichigo couldn't hear, and they started walking again. He walked a bit faster to catch up.

When they were within earshot, he called out to them. They didn't stop, but acted like they didn't hear him. Walking quickly, he called out to them again. Slowly turning left, they again ignored him. Seeing as they weren't going to stop for him, he walked behind them and decided to speak.

"I can offer you ten percent over what you paid for it," he said, confidently. "You'd be getting back your money, _and _making a profit."

Miss Kuchiki scoffed and said, "You really want it, don't you?" She still hadn't turned around to face him.

"I came with the sole purpose of purchasing that painting."

"And how is that any concern of mine?" The aqua haired woman beside her gave Ichigo a side glance.

A scowling Ichigo smirked and said, "I see. You just can't stand losing, so you outbid everyone so you can have your way." This caused her to stop. Her friend beside her was caught by surprise, and looked at Miss Kuchiki anxiously.

"Has it occurred to you that maybe I also came to this auction with the sole purpose of purchasing that painting?" Ichigo was taken aback by this response.

"I-I… well…" he stammered. Miss Kuchiki slowly turned on her heel and looked straight into his eyes.

She glowed. Her fierce violet-blue eyes bore into his heart like none before them. Her ivory skin seemed to hold a translucent glow; it was as if she had just stepped out of a painting. He was stricken by her elegance, and the graceful manner in which she held up her head, ready to confront him. Raven hair fell softly around her face, and her eyes burned with an intense passion, making her seem a mystery, a mystery Ichigo was dying to discover. Her soft lips were curled into a knowing smirk, as if she knew what he was thinking. She was the most beautiful work of art he had ever seen.

"You what?" The sound of her voice took him out of his reverie. She crossed her delicate arms bellow her chest. He looked at her a bit longer before speaking.

"Whatever your reason, I'm sure I wanted it more." He looked deep into her eyes while saying this. It seemed to make her a little uncomfortable, but she did not back down. "But it's alright," he continued before she could say anything else, "You keep it. I wouldn't possibly dream of taking away a spoiled princess's new toy."

Ichigo saw Miss Kuchiki's company try hard to suppress a laugh. He could tell Miss Kuchiki was fuming, but repressed it quite well.

"Well I'm sorry you're such a _sore loser_. But don't worry, next time I'll remember what a sensitive boy you are and try my _hardest_ not to hurt your feelings," she said savagely, in a calm and collected manner. Before he had the chance to say anything, she quickly turned around and walked quickly away and down the front steps of the large building that housed the auditorium.

Ichigo's scowl deepened and his eyes turned to slits. He ran to the top of the stairs and watched as Miss Kuchiki and her company walked towards a brand new Rolls-Royce, where a chauffeur held the door open for them.

He held on to the railing and yelled out, "Enjoy the painting!" Miss Kuchiki's friend looked back at him and smirked, but Miss Kuchiki herself did not look back. He watched them get in the car with a scowl on his face. He was again stricken by Miss Kuchiki's elegance as she got into the vehicle.

He doubted he would ever see her again, but he would never forget her face. He would never forget her fierce eyes; those eyes that seemed to hold so many layers, so many facets of herself. Facets that he regretted never having the chance to discover…

--

**A/N:** So I updated over a month ago. Lol  
Sorry, everyone!! Busy, busy… too many things happening at once lol  
I was extremely surprised and really pleased all the reviews so far!!  
I hope this chapter wasn't too sucky… I'm not happy with it, anyways :-/  
Please R&R!


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